Certain medical treatments require the use of percutaneously inserted catheters to direct fluids, such as parenteral liquid or medication directly into a patient's blood stream. After a catheter is percutaneously inserted into a patient at a desired location, the catheter is commonly anchored to the patient by a health care provider, such as, a nurse or a doctor. A common method of anchoring a catheter or medical tubing to a patient's skin includes applying surgical tape over an exposed portion of the catheter or tubing and the patient's skin, or forming a safety loop in tubing, connected to the catheter, and taping the looped tubing to the skin of the patient.
Such taping of a catheter and/or medical tubing to a patient is often ineffective to permanently, securely anchor and support the catheter and/or medical tubing to a patient's skin. Also, the taped down tubing is in direct contact with the patient's skin, which is often reported as being uncomfortable.
Other known anchor devices releasably secure a catheter and/or medical tubing to a patient and these too are often ineffective to permanently, securely anchor and support the catheter and/or medical tubing to a patient's skin.